Presidents Day

Washington's Birthday Holiday Honors "Father of our Country"

George Washington served his nation as military, civilian leader

Americans long have honored George Washington, commander of the United States armies in the War of Independence, first President of the United States and "first in the hearts of his countrymen." Washington enjoyed nearly universal respect, not least for spurning all offers of political po er at the moment of his military triumph !"#$"%, choosing instead to return to his &ount 'ernon, 'irginia farm. When leading Americans in "#$# drafted the ne (onstitution, they ere illing to afford the e)ecutive *ranch greater po ers *ecause they anticipated that Washington, ho could *e counted on not to a*use his office, ould serve as the chief e)ecutive, and ould esta*lish important precedents for his successors. Still the most popular figure in America at the end of his second four+year term, Washington again decided to relin,uish po er, esta*lishing an informal eight+year limit later formali-ed *y the ..nd Amendment to the (onstitution !"/0"%. It has *een said that the American people themselves forced (ongress to esta*lish the Washington1s 2irthday holiday, hich today is fi)ed *y la on the third &onday of 3e*ruary. "/th century Americans commonly cele*rated a holiday on 3e*ruary .., the day of Washington1s *irth under the Gregorian calendar adopted *y 2ritain and its colonies in "#0.. Apparently motivated *y chronic employee a*senteeism on that date, (ongress in "$#/ declared Washington1s 2irthday a legal pu*lic holiday. In "/#", (ongress fi)ed Washington1s 2irthday and a num*er of other holidays on &ondays, to create long holiday ee4ends. 2ecause a num*er of states !*ut not the federal government% also cele*rated the 3e*ruary ". *irthday of A*raham 5incoln, the "6th President, many Americans have come to *elieve ++ incorrectly ++ that the third &onday of 3e*ruary is a consolidated "Presidents1 7ay," and many merchants no offer Presidents1 7ay sales. 8he federal holiday, ho ever, remains Washington1s 2irthday. It is *ut one ay in hich Americans cele*rate the life of the man often called the "father of his country." 8he 000 foot !"6/ meter% high Washington &onument, dedicated in "$$0, dominates the s4yline of the nation1s capital, Washington 7.(. Washington1s 69+foot !"$ meter% high li4eness as carved in stone !completed "/:"% on South 7a4ota1s &ount ;ushmore, along ith those of Presidents 8homas <efferson, A*raham 5incoln and 8heodore ;oosevelt. In

"/#6, (ongress posthumously promoted Washington to the ran4 of si)+star General of the Armies, assuring that he ould continue to outran4 all other mem*ers of the military, no and in the future.

George Washington
George Washington, *orn 3e*ruary .., "#=. in 'irginia, as a natural leader, instrumental in creating a united nation out of a conglomeration of struggling colonies and territories. 8he first president of the United States of America is affectionately honored as "the father of his country." Shortly after his t enty+second *irthday, Washington served in the army of >ing George III of ?ngland and as put in command of a troop of soldiers. 8he 3rench ere settling on 2ritish soil and turning the local Indians against the 2ritish colonists. 5ater, in the ar against the 3rench and Indians, Washington commanded large troops of soldiers and sho ed courage that inspired all his soldiers. At this time, >ing George III of ?ngland dominated the thirteen colonies along the east coast and much of the surrounding territories. (olonists *egan to ant their freedom, and live ith a set of rules *ased on democracy, not under the rule of a fara ay 4ing. 8he 2oston 8ea Party of "##=, a colonial re*ellion against ta)es, helped to spar4 the American ;evolution. Washington led and encouraged his ine)perienced armies against the 2ritish forces for eight years until the colonies on their independence. 5a s for the ne country ere ritten into the (onstitution and the 2ill of ;ights. 8he la s called for a President, and here again George Washington as considered the natural choice. @e agreed to serve his country as the first President. George Washington moved from &ount 'ernon, his family home south of Ale)andria, 'irginia, to Ae Bor4 (ity, then the capital of the United States. 8he trip too4 a ee4 *y horse and carriage. All along the ay, people aited eagerly to glimpse the ;evolutionary War general and their first President. Washington as a reluctant leader. As he inspired his soldiers through t o ars, he sa himself serving his country, not leading it. When he accepted t o terms as president, he sa himself serving God and his country in peacetime. @e turned do n a third term as president, ishing only to retire to his *eautiful family home, &ount 'ernon. Americans cele*rated Washington1s *irthday hile he as still alive. 8hey ere grateful for a strong leader ho had proven that democracy as a feasi*le ay to govern the gro ing country. And, hile he as alive, legends gre up a*out him. 8he most famous one says that he as so strong, he thre a silver dollar across the Potomac ;iver. Some Americans argue that this is a true story. Parts of the Potomac ;iver, they say, ere

e)tremely narro a fe hundred years agoC Another story hich has never *een proven, *ut Americans pass do n to their children as a lessonD When George Washington as young, his father gave him a hatchet. @e tried to cut do n a cherry tree ith it. @is father noticed the cuts on the tree, and as4ed his son ho they got there. "I cannot tell a lie," George said, "I did it ith my hatchet." Perhaps George Washington had no hatchet, and perhaps there ere no cherry trees here he gre up. @o ever, George Washington today represents honesty, and cherry pies have *ecome a favorite food associated ith his *irthday. 'arious communities o*serve the holiday *y staging pageants and reenactments of important milestones in Washington1s life. Also, the holiday has ta4en on another side, much more commercial in nature. &any shopping malls and stores run Presidents1 7ay sales to attract shoppers ho have the day off from or4 or school.

he White House
While in office, George Washington held a contest for the *est architectural design of a "President1s Palace." Among the competitors as 8homas <efferson, author of the 7eclaration of Independence and an architect. @is design as entered anonymously, sighed only ith the initials "A. E." It didn1t in. An Irish architect named <ames @o*an on F099, a piece of land, and of course the honor of having his plans used in the final design. Americans called it the "President1s @ouse" *ecause the ord "palace" reminded them of the monarchy that they recently *ro4e a ay from. 8he official name as the "?)ecutive &ansion" from "$"$+"/9.. 8oday it is called simply "8he White @ouse." Some historians say that people *egan calling it the White @ouse *ecause it as painted hite after *eing restored after it had *een *urned *y the 2ritish in "$".. Another legend is that George Washington named it after his ife1s house in the state of 'irginia. 8he first president never had the chance to stay there. Washington died on 7ecem*er ":, "#//, one year *efore the White @ouse as completed during the Presidency of <ohn Adams. In "$96, 8homas <efferson had another chance at designing the White @ouse hen he moved in as third President. &uch of the house and <efferson1s additions ere destroyed in the War of "$".. When it as re*uilt, ho ever, <ames @o*an supervised the or4. 8he White @ouse as redecorated in "$$" and again in "/9. *y the current presidents, and each change reflected the style of the times. It as completely renovated in "/:/ hen @arry S. 8ruman as President. In "/69 hen <ohn >ennedy *ecame President, his ife <ac,ueline redecorated the White @ouse to display the *eauty of American furnishings and art. 8he gardens outside

ere *eautified and enlarged. Since then the presidents1 ives have continued to maintain their home in a tasteful style.

!"raham #incoln
Gf all the presidents in the history of the United State, A*raham 5incoln is pro*a*ly the one that Americans remem*er the *est and ith deepest affection. @is childhood in the frontier of Indiana set the course for his character and motivation later in life. @e *rought a ne honesty and integrity to the White @ouse. @e ould al ays *e remem*ered as "honest A*e." &ost of all, he is associated ith the final a*olition of slavery. 5incoln *ecame a virtual sym*ol of the American dream here*y an ordinary person from hum*le *eginnings could reach the pinnacle of society as president of the country. A*raham 5incoln as *orn on 3e*ruary "., "$9/, in >entuc4y, and spent the first seven years of his life there. 8hey ere difficult years in hich 8homas 5incoln, A*e1s father tried to ma4e a living as a carpenter and farmer. 8he 5incolns moved from farm to farm around >entuc4y, until "$"6, hen the family left to settle in Indiana. 8he United States as still young, and the mid est as a ild, unsettled frontier. 8hey stopped in the middle of a forest in Spencer (ounty, Indiana. Aeigh*ors ere fe and far a ay, and the family lived in a three+sided shelter until A*e1s father cleared enough land and *uilt a log ca*in. A*e and his sister helped ith the heavy daily tas4s that came ith farming. @e cleared the oods for farmland ith his father, and *ecame so s4illed at splitting logs that neigh*ors settling into the Indiana territory paid him to split logs. At the time, he confessed that he did not really li4e manual la*or. @e rote later that although he as very young, an a)e as put into his hand, and he " as almost constantly handling that most useful instrument." In his entire life, A*e as only a*le to go to school for a total of one year. 8his lac4 of education only made him hungry for more 4no ledge. @is mother, Aancy @an4s 5incoln, influenced him in his ,uest for learning. Although she as completely uneducated and could not read or rite, she encouraged her children to study *y themselves. @is *eloved mother died hen he as nine years old, 8he family as greatly saddened, and for a hile lived almost in s,ualor. 8 o years later, ho ever, 8homas 5incoln remarried. A*e1s stepmother as also instrumental in encouraging him to read. @e even travelled to neigh*oring farms and counties to *orro *oo4s. @e as often found reading ne)t to a pile of logs that he should have *een splitting.

When he as older, A*e noticed that people loved to listen to stories. @e *egan telling tall tales in the general store here he or4ed. (ustomers came and stayed hen they 4ne he as there, just to hear him tal4. 8he family moved once again, this time to Illinois. @e *egan or4ing in a store in the ne capital of Springfield. @is po ers of speech soon helped him enter a ne arena, that of politics and la . In "$=: he as elected into the @ouse of ;epresentatives and *egan studying to *ecome a la yer. In "$=/, he met his future ife &ary 8odd. (oincidentally, she had *een *orn in >entuc4y, and her family had recently moved to Illinois. 8hey had a long and unsta*le courtship, *ecause A*e as indecisive a*out marrying. 8hey finally e)changed their vo s in &ary1s home in Aovem*er "$:.. A*raham 5incoln *egan a long road to *ecome the si)teenth president of the United States. @e practiced la all across the state for the ne)t fe years, traveling far on horse*ac4 to different counties. I n "$:# he as elected into (ongress, *ut his opinions did not ensure him a long stay there. @e as vehemently against slavery and too4 stands on other controversial issues. @e as not elected for a second term, so he returned to his la practice. A fe years later, slavery *ecame a stronger issue, and more people ere illing to a*olish it. 5incoln joined the ;epu*licans, a ne political party that as opposed to slavery. 8he ;epu*licans nominated him for the U.S. Senate in "$0$, and in his acceptance speech, he statedD "A house divided against itself cannot stand... This government cannot endure, permanently half-slave and half-free... I do not expect the Union to be dissolved. I do not expect the house to fall but I do expect it will cease to be divided. " A*raham 5incoln1s oratorical po ers *rought him to the attention of the nation. @e challenged the 7emocratic nominee to the Senate to a series of de*ates. Using the simple language that he used to communicate ith people all his life, he defeated 7ouglas in the de*ates *ut lost to him in the election. Aominated *y the ;epu*lican Party in "$69 as its candidate for the Presidency of the United States, 5incoln on *y a small margin. 2ut ith his election, the country *egan the process of "dividing against itself." South (arolina had seceded from the Union *efore he as even inaugurated. Gther states follo ed to form the (onfederate States of America. 8he Aorth and South ere divided, and the (ivil War *egan. 8he ar as not only over the a*olition of slavery, *ut also the rights of individual states to ma4e their o n choices on other issues. 8he *loody 2attle of Gettys*urg in Pennsylvania as the largest *attle ever fought on American soil. Gn Aovem*er "/, "$6=, at a ceremony to esta*lish Gettys*urg as a national monument, 5incoln delivered hat as to *ecome one of the finest orations in American history, the Gettys*urg Address. Bet just after he delivered it, there as polite applause, and reactions varied from indifference to disappointment. ?d ard ?verett, e)+ governor of &assachusetts, as the main spea4er, and his speech had lasted for almost

t o hours. Gn his trip *ac4 to Washington, 5incoln himself said of his speechD "It as a flat failure. I am distressed a*out it. I ought to have prepared it ith more care." 2ut ?d ard ?verett assured 5incoln sayingD "I ould *e glad if I could flatter myself that I came near to the central idea of the occasion in t o hours as you did in t o minutes."

he Gettys"urg !ddress
ovember !", !#$% &our score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created e'ual. ow we are engaged in a great civil war testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. (e are met on a great battlefield of that war. (e have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation may live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. )ut, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished wor* which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great tas* remaining before us that from these honored dead we ta*e increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion, that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under +od shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people by the people for the people shall not perish from the earth. 5incoln as elected to a second term in "$6:. 8he South surrendered, and the (ivil War ended on April /, "$60. 8he difficult tas4 of national reconstruction and reconciliation lay ahead, *ut 5incoln ould not *e the person to lead the country through this difficult period. Gn April ":, &r. and &rs. 5incoln attended a play at the 3ord1s 8heater in Washington, 7.(. A fe minutes past ten o1cloc4, an actor ho disagreed ith 5incoln1s political opinions stepped into the Presidential *o) and shot the President. @e died the follo ing morning.

American poet Walt Whitman, along ith the rest of the country, mourned the death of A*raham 5incoln. @e rote this poem in his honor.

Ca$tain% my Ca$tain%
, -aptain. my -aptain. our fearful trip is done, The ship has weather/d every rac*, the pri0e we sought is won, The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, (hile follow eyes the steady *eel, the vessel grim and daring1 )ut , heart. heart. heart. , the bleeding drops of red, (here on the dec* my -aptain lies, &allen cold and dead. , -aptain. my -aptain. rise up and hear the bells1 2ise up--for you the flag is flung--for you the bugle trills, &or you bou'uets and ribbon/d wreaths--for you the shores a-crowding, &or you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning1 3ere -aptain. dear father. This arm beneath your head. It is some dream that on the dec*, 4ou/ve fallen cold and dead. 5y -aptain does not answer, his lips are pale and still, 5y father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will, The ship is anchor/d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done, &rom fearful trip the victor ship comes in with ob6ect won1 7xult , shores, and ring , bells. )ut I with mournful tread, (al* the dec* my -aptain lies, &allen cold and dead. &uotations from #incoln "...As I ould not *e a slave, so I ould not *e a master. 8his e)presses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the e)tent of the difference, is no democracy" 5etter, August "$0$ "If e do not ma4e common cause to save the good old ship of the Union on this voyage, no*ody ill have a chance to pilot her on another voyage. " Speech, (leveland, Ghio, 3e*ruary "0, "$6"

By George, ' '( Washington's Birthday%

2y (. 5. Ar*el*ide Winter .99:, 'ol. =6, Ao. : Prologue &aga-ine As a student at Washington ?lementary School in >ings*urg, (alifornia, I too4 great pride in enjoying the federal holiday dedicated to the "3ather of Gur (ountry," George Washington. 3ederal offices, *an4s, schools, and most *usiness closed to pay him homage. 8hat the 3e*ruary .. holiday could have occurred in the midst of potential foul eather did not deter children across the land from enjoying a inter1s holiday of play. 2efore "/#", Washington1s 2irthday as one of nine federal holidays cele*rated on specific dates, hichHyear after yearHfell on different days of the ee4 !the e)ception *eing 5a*or 7ayHthe original &onday holiday%. 8hen came the tin4ering of the Ainetieth (ongress in "/6$. 7etermined to create a uniform system of federal &onday holidays, (ongress voted to shift three e)isting holidays to &ondays and e)panded the num*er further *y creating one ne &onday holiday. Washington1s 2irthday as uprooted from its fi)ed 3e*ruary .. date and transplanted to the third &onday in 3e*ruary, follo ed *y &emorial 7ay *eing relocated from the last day in &ay to the last &onday in &ay. Gne ne ly created holidayH(olum*us 7ayH as positioned on the second &onday in Gcto*er, as 'eterans 7ayHousted from its Aovem*er "" fo)holeH as reassigned to the fourth &onday in Gcto*er !although re*ellion *y veterans1 organi-ations and state governments forced the "/$9 return of 'eterans 7ay to its historic Armistice date of Aovem*er ""%. 8hat Washington1s *irth dateH3e*ruary ..H ould never fall on the third &onday in 3e*ruary as considered of minimum importance. After all, ho could ever forget all that George Washington meant to this countryI he )riginal "!merican 'dol" @istoric dates, li4e stepping stones, create a footpath through our heritage. ?)perienced *y one generation and recalled *y those to come, it is through these annual recollections that our heritage is honored. In "$#/ the 3orty+fifth (ongress deemed George Washington1s *irth date, 3e*ruary .., a historic date orthy of holiday recognition. Washington as a man of his timeD a farmer, a soldier, and an o ner of slaves. Aamed commander+in+chief of the American

(ontinental army, he led the colonies to victory over ?ngland, securing independence for an infant nation. @is political leadership led to his election as president of the "#$# (onstitutional (onvention. Gnce the states ratified the (onstitution, he as elected the first President of the United States, completing t o terms. ?verything a*out George Washington as ent ined ith the evolution of a young nation. @is name as associated ith virtue, honesty, strength, courage, and patriarchal leadership. Schools, *ridges, to ns, the national capital, and even a state ere named in his honor. @is li4eness graced currency, stamps, sculptures, and paintings. &anufacturers deemed his image as pu*lic property. @istorian William Ayres has stated that Washington must "surely hold the record for the num*er of times the image of a historical figure appeared on goods made for the American home." At si)+feet, t o and a half inches tall, Washington1s presence enhanced his political stature. Succeeding generations found significant ays to periodically resurrect his memory, including the centennial *irthday cele*ration of "$=. and the laying of the Washington &onument1s cornerstone si)teen years later !"$:$%. (lose on the heels of the national centennial cele*ration of "$#6, a patriotic colonial revival follo ed and, *efore the end of the century, a centennial o*servance of his death in "$//. With the "/=9s carving of his li4eness in stone on &ount ;ushmore and the posthumous promotion to the ran4 of si)+star General of the Armies in "/#6, the numerous tri*utes continued to reaffirm George Washington1s place as the original "American Idol." 'n *+,-.!n /n$recedented 'dea In the late "$#9s, Senator Steven Wallace 7orsey !;+Ar4ansas% proposed the unprecedented idea of adding "citi-en" Washington1s *irth date, 3e*ruary .., to the four e)isting *an4 holidays previously approved in "$#9. Griginally federal or4er a*senteeism had forced (ongress to ta4e a cue from surrounding states and formally declare Ae Bear1s 7ay, Independence 7ay, 8han4sgiving, and (hristmas 7ay as federal holidays in the 7istrict of (olum*ia. 8he idea of adding Washington1s 2irthday to the federal holiday list simply made official an unofficial cele*ration in e)istence long *efore Washington1s death. A popular proposal, the holiday *ill re,uired little de*ate. Signed into la <anuary =", "$#/, *y President ;utherford 2. @ayes, the la as implemented in "$$9 and applied only to 7istrict federal or4ers. In "$$0 the holiday as e)tended to federal or4ers in the thirty+eight states. Washington1s 2irthday had *ecome the first federal holiday to single out an individual1s *irth date. 8he honor lasted for less than a century.

0ust Who Would Benefit1 While the urgency to revamp the federal holiday system in "/6$ as spurred *y the *elief !although no statistics ere availa*le% that government employee holiday a*senteeism ould *e 4ept to a minimum, other motivations *egan to ta4e center stage. Gn &ay 6, "/6$, the (ongressional ;ecord noted a three+point *enefit pac4age directed specifically at familiesD "8hree+day holidays offer greater opportunities for familiesHespecially those hose mem*ers may *e idely separatedHto get together. . . ." "8he three+day span of leisure time . . . ould allo our citi-ens greater participation in their ho**ies as ell as in educational and cultural activities." "&onday holidays ould improve commercial and industrial production *y minimi-ing mid ee4 holiday interruptions of production schedules and reducing employee a*senteeism *efore and after mid ee4 holidays." ?ndorsing the proposed holiday changes ere various *usiness+related organi-ations including the (ham*er of (ommerce of the United States, the Aational Association of &anufacturers, the Aational Association of 8ravel Grgani-ations, and the Aational ;etail 3ederation. 8he tas4 of shepherding the holiday *ill through the @ouse <udiciary (ommittee fell to ;epresentative ;o*ert &c(lory, a ;epu*lican from Illinois. Aoting "the *ill has many purposes," &c(lory commented, "I ould say the primary purpose, as far as I am concerned, is thisD It ill provide more opportunities for family togetherness and more opportunities for people to visit the great historic sites of our Aation, such as the great 5incoln country of Illinois, Williams*urg, Bor4to n, Washington, 7.(., &ount 'ernon, Gettys*urg, and a num*er of other historic places hich e associate ith these great national holidays." !@o families from the West (oast ere to do this in three days as not discussed.% &c(lory continued, "So the *eneficiaries are going to *e the men, omen and children of the United States." <ust hich "families" ould reap the federal holiday *enefits concerned ;epresentative @arold Gross !;+Io a%. "I have an idea if e ma4e &onday holidays, to fulfill the promise to merchants that they are going to do a *etter *usiness, that employees of the stores of this country ill have no holidays. 8hey ill or4 at selling merchandise. 8hat is a*out hat ill happen." &c(lory countered, "5et me say generally that the la*or unions are in support of this legislation." Gross replied, "I am not impressed *y that."

&c(lory responded, "We have la*or and management joined together in support of this legislation, hich is a uni,ue situation. 3urthermore, I am not disappointed that someone ill o*tain an economic advantage from this legislation, *ecause our hole society is *uilt upon a strong economy. 8his *ill ill help promote that economy. 8hat is reason to support this *ill not a reason to reject it." Point to Gross. @e had successfully uncovered the *ill1s true purpose only to have the message lost in the avalanche of pu*licity *eing generated *y *usiness organi-ations in support of the legislation. A portion of America1s nongovernmental or4force ere a*out to lose their holiday rights in e)change for the *usiness of America. Well, 2ot !ll the Federal Holidays Gf the federal holidays, t o ere almost immediately e)empt from the shift to &ondaysD Ae Bear1s 7ay, <anuary ", and (hristmas 7ay, 7ecem*er .0. 8he Wall Street <ournal noted on &arch .#, "/6$, that "Unli4e some earlier versions of the &onday holiday *ill, ;ep. &c(lory1s measure ould leave <uly :th untouched as Independence 7ay, and 8han4sgiving ould continue to fall on the fourth 8hursday in Aovem*er. Patriotic groups JhadK *een especially hostile to tampering ith the 3ourth of <uly, and some merchants ere orried that a &onday 8han4sgiving ould disrupt e)isting retailing patterns." 8hat left Washington1s 2irthday, &emorial 7ay, and 'eterans 7ay as the prime targets. 8he usual display of statistics, charts, and graphs highlighting non+&onday holiday traffic accidents and deaths ere trotted out, as ere pro and con pu*lic polls. Although storm clouds ere gathering around the idea of shifting 'eterans 7ay from one month to another, it as the proposal to shift the Washington1s 2irthday federal holiday from 3e*ruary .. to the third &onday in 3e*ruary that caused *oth a congressional and pu*lic outcry. 8hat Washington1s identity ould *e lost forced &c(lory to insist, "We are not changing George Washington1s *irthday" and further note, "We ould ma4e George Washington1s 2irthday more meaningful to many more people *y having it o*served on a &onday." he 3ename Game Gpponents ere not convinced. It had *een &c(loryHa representative from "the land of 5incoln"H ho had attempted in committee to rename "Washington1s 2irthday" as "President1s 7ay." 8he *ill stalled. 8he Wall Street <ournal reported on &arch .#D "8o in more support, &r. &c(lory and his allies dropped the earlier goal of renaming Washington1s 2irthday JasK Presidents1 7ay, J hichK mollified some 'irginia la ma4ers. @e also agreed to s eeten the pac4age *y including (olum*us 7ay as a 3ederal holiday, a goal sought for years *y Italian+American groups." "It as the collective judgment of the (ommittee on the <udiciary," stated &r. William &oore &c(ulloch !;+Ghio% "that this Jnaming the day "President1s 7ay"K ould *e

un ise. (ertainly, not all Presidents are held in the same high esteem as the 3ather of our (ountry. 8here are many ho are not inclined to pay their respects to certain Presidents. &oreover, it is pro*a*le that the mem*ers of one political party ould not relish honoring a President from the other political party hether he as in office, no matter ho outstanding history may find his leadership." Why the " hird" 4onday in Fe"ruary1 @ad the name of the holiday *een changed to Presidents1 7ay, &c(lory ould have gained instant federal holiday recognition for Illinois native son A*raham 5incoln. With the name change no longer a possi*ility, &c(lory positioned the federal holiday on the third &onday in 3e*ruaryHa date closer to 5incoln1s 3e*ruary ". *irth date, 4no ing the dual presidential *irthday spotlight could *e shared *y 5incoln. &c(lory ent so far as to suggest a direct lin4 *et een the 3e*ruary .. *irth date and the third &onday e)istedD "Indeed, his JWashington1sK *irthday ill *e cele*rated fre,uently on 3e*ruary .., hich in many cases ill *e the third &onday in 3e*ruary. It ill also *e cele*rated on 3e*ruary .=, just as it is at the present time hen 3e*ruary .. falls on the Sunday preceding." 'irginia representatives ;ichard @arding Poff and William 5loyd ScottH*elieving that removing the direct date removed the heritage the date representedHcountered the inaccurate information. Poff declared, "Ao hat that really means is never again ill the *irthday of the 3ather of our (ountry *e o*served on 3e*ruary .. *ecause the third &onday ill al ays fall *et een the "0th of 3e*ruary and the ."st of 3e*ruary." Poff proposed an amendment to retain the 3e*ruary .. date. Scott added, "I su*mit that if e pass this *ill ithout the amendment that &r. Poff has offered, e are going to run into just as much of a hornet1s nest as the one during President J3ran4lin 7.K ;oosevelt1s regime hen he changed the date of the o*servance of 8han4sgiving." >no ing that future generations ere careta4ers of the past, 7an @eflin >uy4endall !;+ 8ennessee% cut to the heart of the matter. "If e do this, "9 years from no our schoolchildren ill not 4no or care hen George Washington as *orn. 8hey ill 4no that in the middle of 3e*ruary they ill have a =+day ee4end for some reason. 8his ill come." 8he ,uestion as ta4en, and on a division !demanded *y Poff% "there ere Jver*alK ayes, 09, noes :/." &c(lory demanded tellers to count the votes. "8he (ommittee again divided, and the tellers reported there ere 1ayes 0/, noes 6#.1" With more than 09 percent opposed, the amendment as rejected. Per$etual Calendar, !nyone1

@ad activism follo ed Poff1s failed amendment, creative compromise ould still have *een possi*le. Supporters could have sei-ed the momentHcapitali-ing on &c(lory1s voiced *elief that 3e*ruary .. ould fall on a &onday. A chec4 ith the crystal *all of calendarsHthe perpetual calendarH ould have confirmed Poff1s assertion that 3e*ruary .. ould never fall on the third &onday in 3e*ruary and ould have revealed that 3e*ruary .. ould occasionally fall on the fourth &onday in 3e*ruary. Aever proposed as an alternative amendment, the "fourth &onday" opportunity passed silently *y. he 5rosion of !merica's 4emory With the traditional ten+day *uffer *et een 5incoln1s 3e*ruary ". and Washington1s 3e*ruary .. *irthdays eliminated, the erosion of America1s memory *egan. 8hat 5incoln1s *irthday had never achieved federal holiday status as a*out to change. When the ne federal la as implemented in "/#", only t o days separated A*raham 5incoln1s 3riday *irthday of 3e*ruary ". from the Washington1s 2irthday holiday that fell on 3e*ruary "0Hthe third &onday in 3e*ruary. Ironically, Washington1s *irth date of 3e*ruary .. fell one ee4 later on the fourth &onday in 3e*ruary. 3rom year to year the calendar compressed and e)panded the num*er of days *et een the t o *irthday o*servances from as fe as t o days to as many as eight. 8hen there as the response *y state governments. While (ongress could create a uniform federal holiday la , there ould not *e a uniform holiday title agreement among the states. While a majority of states ith individual holidays honoring Washington and 5incoln shifted their state recognition date of Washington1s 2irthday to correspond to the third &onday in 3e*ruary, a fe states chose not to retain the federal holiday title, including 8e)as, hich *y "/#" renamed their state holiday "President1s 7ay." (rossing state *orders on Washington1s 2irthday could lead to holiday title confusion. 8hen came the po er of advertising. ! Golden "Promotional" 5gg 3or advertisers, the &onday holiday change as the goose that laid the golden "promotional" egg. Using 5a*or 7ay mar4eting as a guide, three+day ee4end sales ere e)panded to include the ne &onday holidays. Gnce the "Uniform &onday @oliday 5a " as implemented, it too4 just under a decade to *uild a head of national promotional sales steam. 5ocal advertisers morphed *oth "A*raham 5incoln1s 2irthday" and "George Washington1s 2irthday" into the sales sound *ite "President1s 7ay," e)panding the traditional three+day sales to *egin *efore 5incoln1s *irth date and end after Washington1s 3e*ruary .. *irth. In some instances, advertisers promoted the sales campaign through the entire month of 3e*ruary. 8o the unsuspecting pu*lic, the term lin4ing *oth

presidential *irthdays seemed to e)plain the repositioning of the holiday *et een t o high+profile presidential *irthdays. After a decade of local sporadic use, the catchall phrase too4 a national turn. 2y the mid+ "/$9s, the term as appearing in a fe Washington Post holiday advertisements and an occasional ne spaper editorial. 8hree "spellings" of the advertising holiday ensuedHone ithout an apostrophe and t o promoting a floating apostrophe. 8he Associated Press style*oo4 placed the apostrophe *et een the "t" and "s" !"President1s 7ay"%, hile grammatical purists positioned the apostrophe after the "s" *elieving Presidents1 deferred the day to the "many" rather than one singular "President. " Advertising had its effects on various calendar manufacturers ho, determining their o n spelling, *egan su*stituting Presidents1 7ay for the real thing. ?ventually, hen printed in the ne spaper or seen on the calendar, fe gave thought to its accuracy. 4ean6hile, Bac7 at the (chools In "/6$, no educational organi-ationsHteachers, administrators, or P8AsH ere listed as supporters of the holiday *ill. While (ongress counted on state legislatures to align their state holidays ith those of the federal government, no thought as given to the effect revised federal holidays ould have on individual school districts. &any school districts could independently determine their calendar until state legislatures *egan re,uiring of school districts a set num*er of days ithin a school year. Although school districts made every effort to honor federal holidays, administrators ere faced ith juggling an already pac4ed school year calendar. Where once school ended at the end of &ay and *egan after 5a*or 7ay, school years have e)panded into <une and even August as educators found it necessary to lengthen the school year to accommodate the evolving re,uired educational mandates. ;ather than continue to erase the summer *rea4, schools *egan omitting various federal holidays !most often (olum*us 7ay, 'eterans 7ay, and the generic "Presidents1 7ay"% from school calendars. Political correctness caused schools to shy a ay from ignoring the &artin 5uther >ing, <r., holiday, hile the 1title confused1 third &onday in 3e*ruaryH no *eing passed over as a holidayHemerged ith ne found purpose as staff development time, teacherLparent meetings, or as a *ac4up sno ma4e+up day. 3ederal holidays hose authentic titles once automatically graced school calendars ere removed for fear that parents and students ould interpret their appearance as confirmation that students ould have the day off. 3or students in 8e)as, the renaming of the state1s Washington holiday to "President1s 7ay" esta*lished the *eginning of generations of children hose connection to Washington as fading. (alifornia too4 the opposite tact, re,uiring schools to promote lessons a*out George Washington on the 3riday *efore his &onday holiday.

Perhaps the ultimate ironic reaction occurred in George Washington1s native home state of 'irginia. Ignoring not only the correct federal title *ut 'irginia1s o n state holiday titleH "George Washington 7ay"Hthe state1s 7epartment of ?ducation ousted the accurate "Washington1s 2irthday" holiday title from the "//$ Standards of 5earning in favor of the advertising sound*ite. 2y the late "//9s, the sno *all effect too4 hold. With more pu*lishing houses su*stituting Presidents1 7ay for "Washington1s 2irthday," children1s holiday *oo4s *ased on incorrect research ere infiltrating their ay into school and pu*lic li*raries. Schools in Washington1s o n *irth county !Westmoreland (ounty% and the (ity of Ale)andria !near &ount 'ernon and home to the long+running George Washington 2irthday Parade% succum*ed to the Presidents1 7ay phrase. At the *eginning of the .99:M .990 school year, of 'irginia1s "=: school districts, only t o received an "A" for accuracy. 2oth the 3airfa) and ;ichmond (ounty Pu*lic Schools systems listed the correct "Washington1s 2irthday" holiday title on their respective Internet sites. ! Phantom Presidential Proclamation Ahhhh, the Internet. A haven for homemade home pages. As e* riters *egan pointing fingers at ho as responsi*le for the federal Washington1s 2irthday holiday title *eing changed to Presidents1 7ay, e* sites unanimously attri*uted the change to a presidential proclamationHissued *y President ;ichard Ai)onH ho as in office hen the "Uniform &onday @oliday 5a " as enacted in "/#". 5i4e a platter of hors d1oeuvres, ord+for+ ord segments of the "alleged" proclamation ere passed from one e* site to another !including educational *ased and various U.S. em*assy sites% as if cut and paste as the ne style of e* riting. SupposedlyHit as surmisedHAi)on had issued a presidential proclamation in "/#" changing the name from Washington1s 2irthday to Presidents1 7ay. @ad any riter cared to call the Ai)on Presidential &aterials Staff of the Aational Archives and ;ecords AdministrationN the staff at the Ai)on 5i*rary in Bor*a 5inda, (aliforniaN or the la li*rary at the 5i*rary of (ongress, they ould have learned that no such presidential proclamation e)ists. As an archivist at the Ai)on staff commented, this phantom presidential proclamation as 1the ultimate in presidential ur*an myths." In the a*sence of fact chec4ing, e* riters had relied on a fictitious sourceHan Internet story hose origins ere traced to an Ar4ansas 7emocrat+Ga-ette humor column authored *y &ichael Storey. ! "Cat's" ale 8hat President 2ill (linton really had issued a proclamation in .999 declaring the third &onday in 3e*ruary to *e Presidents1 7ay ir4ed Storey, ho responded ith a fictional intervie as to ho Presidents1 7ay got its name. 8he source for the "intervie " as the

author1s cat, ho "asserted" that Ai)on had created a presidential proclamation changing the federal holiday1s name from "Washington1s 2irthday" to "President1s 7ay. " We* riters ignored the author1s "fictitious" disclaimer. USA 8oday1s ;ichard 2enedetto ,uoted from the mythical story. "So ho did Washington1s 2irthday morph into President1s 7ayI It seems e have ;ichard Ai)on to than4Hor *lameHfor that. Gn 3e*ruary .", "/#", Ai)on issued a proclamation naming the holiday 1President1s 7ay,1 1the first such three+day holiday set aside to honor all presidents, even myself.1" In .99., ;on Wolfe, also of the Ar4ansas 7emocrat+Ga-ette, recalled the aftermath. "8old that he J2enedettoK may have ,uoted a . . . cat to prove his point, 2enedetto set the paper1s li*rary to or4, trying to trac4 do n again here he found the ,uote. " Although no citation as found, no retraction appeared in USA 8oday. What Ai)on did in "/#" as to issue the traditional standard e)ecutive order announcing the implementation of ne federal legislation. Ai)on1s e)ecutive order reminded citi-ens, as did many ne spapers on <anuary ", of the ne federal holiday calendar *eing implementedD Ae Bear1s 7ay, <anuary "N Washington1s 2irthday, the third &onday in 3e*ruaryN &emorial 7ay, the last &onday in &ayN Independence 7ay, <uly :N 5a*or 7ay, the first &onday in Septem*erN (olum*us 7ay, the second &onday in Gcto*erN 'eterans 7ay, the fourth &onday in Gcto*er, 8han4sgiving 7ay, the fourth 8hursday in Aovem*erN and (hristmas 7ay, 7ecem*er .0. Ai)on didHin a separate statementHrecogni-e the *irthday of A*raham 5incoln *ut did not suggest, refer to, or use the term "Presidents1 7ay" in either of the e)ecutive orders. Coming Full Circle ;epresentative Gross1s concern for the or4ers ho might find themselves ithout holidays as justified. &anufacturers and *usiness ere not *ound to federal holiday la s. 8hree+day holiday ee4ends ere sales *onan-as. Wor4ers ho once enjoyed mid ee4 holidays ere finding little support from management to *enefit from &onday holidays. Where hite+collar profession enjoyed the day off, *lue+collar or4 forces could not. Wor4ers in travel and tourism industries, home improvement centers, recreation+related *usiness, as ell as gas stations and the trash+collecting industry rarely have any holidays off. 8he closest the country comes to a complete holiday shutdo n is (hristmas 7ay, a fi)ed date not restricted to a &onday holiday. In the name of uniformity, (ongress succeeded in separating the pu*lic into t o groupsD those ith and those ithout holidays. ;epresentative >uy4endall1s prediction of schoolchildren not 4no ing or caring hen George Washington as *orn has come to pass, too, even in Washington1s home state of

'irginia, here the state1s 7epartment of ?ducation removed the first President1s identity from the 3e*ruary holiday. Gn the *right side, there is the federal Gffice of Personnel &anagement1s holiday Internet site, hich attempts to verify the correct federal holiday title, notingD "8his holiday is designated as 1Washington1s 2irthday1 in section 6"9= !a% of title 0 of the United States (ode, hich is the la that specifies holidays for 3ederal employees. 8hough other institutions such as state and local governments and private *usiness may use other names, it is our policy to al ays refer to holidays *y the names designated in the la . " At &ount 'ernon the pu*lic relations department removed all references to the Ai)on proclamation and Presidents1 7ay from their Internet site in 7ecem*er of .99=. 2oth &ount 'ernon and the Aational Par4 Service1s George Washington1s 2irthplace Aational &onument offer the most accurate loo4 at the heritage associate ith the Washington1s 2irthday holiday. Gut in Washington, 'irginia, the ;appahannoc4 (ounty 5i*rary initiated, in 3e*ruary .99:, the art and essay program "2y George, It1s Washington1s 2irthday"8& to counter the advertising term and ta4e *ac4 the rightful federal and state holiday heritage associated ith 'irginia1s native son. 'gnore or 3estore1 Gnly t o Americans have *een honored ith individual federal holidays. 8he original intent as to recogni-e them on their *irthdays. 8he Uniform &onday @oliday 5a removed the 3e*ruary .. connection to Washington. Bears later, having learned their lesson, (ongress made certain the &onday in <anuary selected for the ne holiday as the &onday on hich >ing1s *irth date ould occasionally fall. 8hat one holiday has the direct *irth date connection and the other does not still contri*utes to the confusionHis the third &onday in 3e*ruary Washington1s 2irthday or Presidents1 7ayI Washington1s *irthday holiday came a*out seventy years after his death. 8he >ing holiday has emerged ithin the primary family1s lifetime. As there are no primary survivors to spea4 for George Washington, it falls to (ongress to resurrect the original honor accorded Washington *y the 8hirty+seventh (ongress in "$#/ and re+lin4 the federal holiday to his *irth date of 3e*ruary ... 8he ,uestion facing (ongress is hether to restore the holiday to the 3e*ruary .. *irth date or shift the holiday to the fourth &onday in 3e*ruary, allo ing 3e*ruary .. to occasionally fall on that &onday. Perhaps (ongress can find the ans er right in its o n *ac4yardH ithin the halls of the (apitol. &em*ers can ponder the ,uestion hile ga-ing at the Apotheosis of Washington mural adorning the U.S. (apitol ;otunda. Gr contemplate ho their annual congressional 3e*ruary ritual of reading Washington1s "3are ell Address" came a*out. What reason did the citi-ens, in "$6., have in *ringing petitions to Senator Andre <ohnson demanding the reading of the address on Washington1s *irthdayI 8he country as in the midst of

civil ar. 8he citi-ens loo4ed to Washington1s ords for strength, and <ohnson carried the messageD "I thin4 the time has arrived hen e should recur *ac4 to the days, the times, and the doings of Washington and the patriots of the ;evolution, ho founded the government under hich e live." Is there ever a time in our country1s present or future circumstances that e could not *enefit from *eing reminded of ho the citi-ens ho came *efore dealt ith the crises associated ith *eing a countryI 8he recognition accorded the 3e*ruary .. date isHin effectHa loo4 *ac4 at ho the country survived in spite of itself. It is also a time to reflect on the origins of slavery. (onsidering that 3e*ruary is also 2lac4 @istory &onth, the e)istence of Washington1s 2irthday provides an opportunity to ta4e an e)panded loo4 at the issue of civil rights from the country1s earliest daysHnot just the days of the (ivil War or the "/09s and "/69s. Washington1s deeds and ords continue to inspire. (an e afford to ignore the contri*utions of George Washington, or shall e restore the connection to this special heritage and our uni,ue historical pastI It1s something to contemplate on Washington1s 2irthday holiday in .990, hen it falls on 3e*ruary ."Hthe closest it can ever come to Washington1s *irth date of 3e*ruary ... 3ederal holiday history continues to *e a or4 in progress. -. 8. Arbelbide is a historian and storyteller speciali0ing in federal holiday history and uni'ue events associated with the (hite 3ouse, the U.9. -apitol, and the ational 5all. 9he is the author of The (hite 3ouse 7aster 7gg 2oll :!"";<. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Aote on Sources 8he Ai)on Presidential &aterials Staff of the Aational Archives and ;ecords Administration is the custodian of the historical materials created and received *y the White @ouse during the administration of ;ichard Ai)on, "/6/M"/#:, and is located in (ollege Par4, &aryland. 8he @ouse de*ate on the &onday @oliday 2ill is recorded in the (ongressional ;ecord, &ay 6 !pp. ""$.#M""$=9%, # !pp. ".9##M".9#/%, and / !pp. ".0$=M".6""%, "/6$. Useful secondary sources are William S. Ayres, "At @ome ith GeorgeD (ommerciali-ation of the Washington Image, "##6M"$#6, " in George WashingtonD American Sym*ol !Ae Bor4 D @udson @ills Press, "///%N and Stephen W. Stathis, "3ederal @olidaysD ?volution and Application" !<anuary .", "///%, (ongressional ;esearch Service, 5i*rary of (ongress.

8he controversy over moving the date of 8han4sgiving is discussed in G. Wallace (hessman, "8han4sgivingD Another 37; ?)periment, " PrologueD Ouarterly of the Aational Archives .. !3all "//9%D .#=M.$0. President Ai)on1s mythical proclamation a*out "President1s 7ay" is told in &ichael Storey1s column of "humor andLor total fa*rication, " "Gtus the @ead (atD (linton joins disgraced Ai)on in ride on George1s coattails," Ar4ansas 7emocrat+Ga-ette, 3e*ruary .6, .999, p. ?=N and retold *y ;ichard 2enedetto, "Presidents 7ayI Ao president1s day," USA 8oday, 3e*ruary "/, .99", p. A#. ;on Wolf1s correction, "We can tell no lieD &onday is not 1President1s 7ay,1" appeared in the Ar4ansas 7emocrat+Ga-ette, on 3e*ruary "#, .99., p. "A. 8he e* sites for &ount 'ernon and George Washington1s 2irthplace Aational &onument are .mountvernon.org and .nps.govLge aLinde).htmN the ;appahannoc4 (ounty 5i*rary e* site is at .rappahannoc4li*rary.org.